At Chortle Fast Fringe 2010

Edinburgh preview

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Stephen Carlin: The Podium of Unconditional Surrender
Live Review

Stephen Carlin has a prime slot in the least showbiz of the rooms at The Stand. It’s a scenario that seems fitting as he has the demeanour of a man that life has handed out gifts with one hand and taken them away with the other. Plus it provides him with some nicely self-deprecating intro humour: ‘Welcome to Stand 4, or “that poky little room” as my mum calls it.’

It’s actually a nice little room, a cosily intimate venue in which to see one of the most inventive stand-ups on the Fringe. This year’s show doesn’t disappoint as it’s a delightfully shambling, apparently unconnected, collection of material.

His tale begins (and pretty much ends too) with a trip to see Buzz Aldrin at the Royal Festival Hall. Carlin is a little disappointed that Aldrin looked just like a man rather than a man that had been to the moon (whatever one of those would look like, he notes) and to compound it, Aldrin had showed the audience pictures of his cats.

In between are a disparate set of topics – his father’s annoying habit of putting ‘s’ on words, the bad combination that is double-decker buses and low bridges, the Protect and Survive nuclear war public information film of the Eighties, and Aberdeen fairgrounds.

The hour then culminates in possibly the most tenuous, knowingly cynical and hilarious round-up of any show this festival.

Carlin’s sense of the surreal, seen frequently in previous work, is still very much in evidence; the ordinary meets the extraordinary in such routines where black magic is accidentally threatened in Argos

His other trademark quality of pedantry seems to have come down a notch though there is still some in evidence gently grumbling under the surface., while his delivery, once monotone, now seems quite animated – or as animated as the delightfully deadpan Scot is likely to get, anyway.

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Stephen Carlin us in front of me at the moment. Struggling! That I'm writing this review sums up how well he is doing. Poor poor routine! Standard "I'm Scottish " routine,done twenty times before and always better. GONG!

Andy Guptan, October 2011

Stephen Carlin at Eden Court Theatre Inverness.Sadly Stephen's set mainly comprised of talking about serial killers. I thought I was at a police conference, profiling serial killers. Staring into the middle distance and being hesitant will not win over an audience. As most people experience from their school report "can do better!" this applied on this occasion. Look forward to a return gig with more amusing material.

Douglas Thomson, November 2009

Saw him last night supporting Stephen Merchant at the Warwick Arts Centre. At first I thought his delivery was slightly off, but actually after a couple of minutes into his set you could see that was his delivery, and his jokes worked perfectly because of it. I thought he was outstanding, and certainly one of the quickest, sharpest, funniest comedians I've seen for a long time, I hope he goes from strength to strength

James Ventham, August 2008

I hope he doesn't end up headlining the chicken-in-a-basket Jongleurs circuit all the time for I think he is very good indeed.

Alaric Dynevor, Huddersfield, June 2008

Saw him for the first time at Hen and Chickens last night trying out new material for Edinburgh. Didn't think the show worked at all & was bordering on embarassing by the end. Hope he sorts it out in time for the proper show...

Ian S, July 2007

Saw him in Glasgow's The Stand. Fantastic, so funny, so clever. Only one swear word, no gross references re sex, masturbation etc, just side splitting observations and off beat comedy. go see him!

hugh reilly, December 2006

I fully intend to go and see Steve Carlin again, but this time, less wine will be consumed beforehand. After waking up in the morning and only then realising how funny his jokes were, I realised that one needed to be alert and awake to truly understand and appreciate this intelligent material. See this man... but sober

Benita, December 2006

You should try following Steve Carlin - it borders on the impossible. He's that good.

Malibu Donghonkey, May 2006

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